Mail-collecting device.



W. M. OOBOORAN.

MAIL COLLECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED we. 26, 1912.

1,050, 1 06, Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

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a a; WWWQMM WM artaraiz Q \Am UNITED STATES FATENT @Fhlfill WILLIAM M.CORCORAN, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

MAILCOLLECTING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM M. COR- CORAN, acitizen of the United States, resid ing at Stockton, in the county ofSan Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mail-Collecting Devices; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisapplication.

This invention relates to improvements in mail collecting devices foruse in conjunction with railway trains, the object of the inventionbeing to produce a means whereby mail bags may be taken onto anddelivered from moving trains in a rapid and effective manner and withoutany danger of the same dropping or becoming lost or damaged.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly efl'ective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing a fragmentary portionof a railway car carrying the necessary attachments for the operation ofthe device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the complete device. Fig. 3 isa side view showing a device partly in section on a line X-X of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 designates a post, Disposed cir cumferentiallyaround the post 1 is a ratchet rack 2 while the numeral 3 designates aprO- jecting arm having ratchets a adapted to engage the rack 2 for thepurpose as will appear. Disposed on the outer end of the arm 3 is across head 5 disposed through each end of which is a bolt or pin 6hinged to each of which is a wing 7 there being a strong spiral spring 8disposed around each of the pins 6 and bearing against the wingsSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1912.

Patented Jan. 1 1, 1913.

Serial No. 717,019.

7 to hold them normally in closed position against the side of the arm3. W hen it is desired to position the device to catch the mail sack 9which is held on pins 10 on arms 11 projecting from the side of theframe 12 one of such wings 7 is opened outwardly and held in suchposition by means of a rod 13 which rod is pivoted to the wing as at 14and it is projected against the pin 15 on the arm 3. The arm 3 is thenmoved on its pivotal point 3 to such a position as will bring the openwing 7 parallel with the railway track and then as the train approachesthe mail bag 9 moves between the open wing 7 and the arm 3, strikes therod 13 driving it off of the pin 15 and the spring 8 then forces thewing 7 to engage the bag 9 and holds it in position against the member 3and moves it ofi of the pins 10.

In order to keep the arm 3 from moving toward the track when once set,the ratchet 4 on the side toward the track is engaged with the rack 2while the corresponding ratchet 4 on the opposite side is lifted fromthe rack 2 and locked under a pivoted catch 16. Then when the mail baghas been caught between the wings 7 and the arm 3 the force of theimpact throws the mail bag and arm 3 away from the track leaving thespace clear, until the device is again posit-ioned. To prevent thisoperation being carried too far and throwing the arm and bag in acomplete circle, I provide a stop pin 17 upon the opposite side of therack 2. The device is provided with two wings 7 in order that it may beused for catching mail from both directions as can readily be seen.

The above operation described the means for taking the mail from thetrain and I will now describe the means for delivering the mail to thetrain, as follows, viz: On the post 1 are two hinged arms 18 and 19provided with projecting pins 20 and 21 to which the mail bag isattached and on the train as at 22 is mounted a structure simi lar tothe structure described above for taking the mail from the train, whichstructure, operates the same as above described and takes the mail bagfrom off the pins 20 and 21. Thereupon, the lower arm 19 drops againstthe post 1 by gravity while the upper arm 18 is forced upwardly againstthe post by means of a spring 23 thus clearing them out of the path ofthe train until such time as another bag is to be delivered when thesame would be positioned on the pins 20 and 21. A ladder 24 may be usedfor cli1nbing up on the post 1.

To prevent the rods 13 from being thrown too far when disengaged fromthe pins 15, I provide pins 15 on the wings 7 which will limit themovement of said rods 13.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device still in practice such devi ations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a post, a ratchet rack on the upper end of saidpost, an arm pivotally mounted on said post, a ratchet on said armadapted to engage said rack and spring pressed wings on the outer end ofsaid arm, as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising a post, an armpivotally mounted on said post, spring pressed wings on said arm, rodspivoted on said wings, pins on said arm, said rods being adapted to project against said pins, as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising a post, a ratchet rackdisposed around said post, an arm pivotally mounted on said post andcarrying spring pressed wings, a ratchet on said arm adapted to engagesaid rack and means for holding said ratchet out of engagement with saidrack, as described.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. CORCORAN.

Witnesses JOSHUA B. VVEBsrnR, CLARENCE M. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

